Saddleback Valley Pole Vaulting Club is Ready to Soar with Grand Prize Gear from Gill Athletics!

Saddleback Valley Pole Vaulting Club is rising to new heights thanks to Coach Dan Cassidy, who scored the Grand Prize Package from Gill Athletics for his contribution to Maggie’s Crowdfunding Campaign.

They’ll get an added boost with a Mean Green Skypole like Maggie used to vault over the moon!

Saddleback Coach Dan Cassidy scored the Skypole as part of the Grand Prize Package from Gill Athletics for his generous contribution to Maggie’s Crowdfunding Campaign.

Gill Athletics provided the Grand Prize package to help narrator Tavia Gilbert perform and produce Maggie Vaults Over the Moon on audiobook. The campaign will cover Tavia’s expenses, and lift the sport of pole-vaulting to a new audience.

Mike Cunningham, Division Manager at Gill, was instrumental in the sponsorship effort and is an enthusiastic supporter of the novel.

“What an honor it is for Gill Athletics to be involved with this special project,” Cunningham said. “After talking with Dan, it is evident that the Skypole Vaulting Pole package will help other young adults jump over the moon, just like Maggie!”

Coach Cassidy loaded the Grand Prize atop his Bronco and rushed to the track to surprise his vaulters.

“It’s only fitting that someone with Dan’s enthusiasm for Maggie and for pole-vaulting would capture this Grand Prize Package!” said author Grant Overstake, adding, “I also want to thank Gill Athletics for helping us accomplish this dream, just as it has been helping vaulters accomplish their dreams for many years. Thank you, Mike Cunningham and Gill Athletics!”

In addition to the Grand Prize package, Cassidy purchased a second Skypole from Gill. He was more than pumped about loading them atop his yellow Ford Bronco and rushing to the track to surprise his vaulters.

In a Facebook message to the author, Cassidy wrote, The 2 poles, bag, tape, and shirt came in today! We have a meet tomorrow and can’t wait to see the kids create some new PR’s! Maggie will be proud of my kids tomorrow!

Pole-vaulting has been lifted to new heights by part-time coaches like Cassidy, who works full-time as an Orange County Firefighter.

Thanks to Cassidy’s enthusiastic coaching, boys and girls in Saddleback Valley are digging deeper, dreaming bigger and following the lofty trajectory of their new storybook idol, Maggie Steele.

“Dan sets a great example for his athletes,” Overstake said. “And in his role as a firefighter, he’s a role model for us all.”

How You Can Help

The crowdfunding campaign, which ends Monday, March 31st, is now focused on raising funds to repay the silent investor from the pole vault community who made it possible for the paperback version of the story to be independently published. Without the support from Maggie’s biggest fan, there would be no Maggie Vaults Over the Moon.

To reward you for your donation, there are still several discounted pole-vault camp slots available. Of course, you don’t have to buy a camp to make a difference. For example, you’ll receive the audiobook download for a gift of $25 or more.

Anything you can give will be great. But please, don’t wait. There’s only a few days left to help put Maggie’s biggest fan atop the award’s stand, where he belongs.

Narrator Tavia Gilbert will perform audiobook version of Maggie Vaults Over the Moon.

About Saddleback Valley Pole Vaulting Club

Located in Mission Viejo in Orange County, the Saddleback Valley Pole Vaulting Club is focused primarily on teaching young vaulters. The club has become a feeder program for all local high schools in the Saddleback Valley. However, current high school and Masters athletes may find that training with the club can and will increase their potential and create new personal records as well. We also have the advantage of vaulting in the evenings due to having a lighted field. Which is helpful for those that find scheduling difficult. This can be very helpful for those who require individual or private instruction. Go to the “Become a Member” tab and let’s get you started! For any pole vaulting questions or even if you want to say “Hello”, please contact us through the website, or by email at danielcassidy@ocfa.org.

About Coach Dan Cassidy

Coach Dan Cassidy

My name is Coach Dan Cassidy and this is my passion! I got my start in the pole vault at the age of 12. I grew up in a rural town out of San Diego County and was lucky enough to have acres of land to play and explore in. My street had all boys between the ages of 8-15 and we were all very industrious. We were always building things or competing against one another. We were all watching the 1968 Olympic Games and were glued to the TV when the pole vault was aired. Having that competitive spirit, we started building our own pole vault venue. We used anything we could find. Poles were a combination of aluminum, copper pipe, bamboo, wood closet dowels or whatever else we could acquire. Our standards were made of 2×4’s and nails were strategically inserted every six inches partially exposed to hold a thin piece of bamboo as a cross bar.

We never realized how that Olympic Games prepared us for a lifetime of fitness. We all became very successful vaulters on the track and field team once we were old enough to compete. I was very fortunate to have this experience 4 years prior to entering high school. I want to share that experience with young athletes today, but with the knowledge of new pole vaulting techniques learned over the years. I still compete today as a Masters athlete through the USATF and look forward to sharing the vaulting experience with those that have a strong will to succeed! Pole vaulting is a lifestyle that will keep you fit and introduce you to some of the nicest people on this planet! Truly we are a different breed! Come Vault with us!”

About Gill Athletics

For more than 90 years, Gill Athletics has been a leading manufacturer of quality athletic equipment—from major facility installations for track and field, football and soccer…to personal performance products—like our celebrated CarbonFX Vaulting Poles—for athletes.The largest producer of track and field equipment in the world, Gill holds the distinction of being the Official Equipment Supplier of USA Track and Field. We go to painstaking lengths to build products to the most exacting standards, and that meet the precise specifications of the IAAF, NCAA and NFSHSA. In fact Gill currently produces more IAAF-certified products than anyone in the industry. We invite you to explore the wide range of Gill products displayed on this website and in our product catalogs. Contact us if you need further information or assistance in ordering.